Evaluate the necessity for online communications in running a business.

Businesses and online communications have long been productive bedfellows. In fact, communication
traces its history back with smoke signals, drum communication, telegraphs, commercial fax equipment
first made available by Xerox in the 1960s and email in the 1990s. However, such mundane reality seems
world away from the present century. In fact, cognitive analyses by the World Economic Forum have led
to the realisation that the past 20 years have greatly shaped how and where we consume
communication media. Businesses are no exception and have tremendously harnessed technology for
online communications with an estimated 91.9 percent of U.S. marketers in companies largest than 100
employees using the cloud and social media inter alia WhatsApp Business and Facebook for marketing
purposes in 2021. However, the necessity for online communications in running a business is highly
debatable.

On the very onset, it is worth noting that concentrating business strategies around online
communication implicates a need for internet access which inevitably requires a constant electricity
supply and has high running costs. Without electricity and the internet, you will grind to a halt.
Additionally, the internet connection has to be stable, secure and fast in order to attain optimality.
While these are improving over time, yet when more and more people are using the internet at peak
times and traffic is intense, the internet connection may be sluggish. Low bandwidths and slow
connections can be extremely frustrating in the middle of a crucial meeting or vital conversation which
can definitely impede the proper running of businesses. Therefore, it may be wise to switch to other
alternatives than just relying on online communication strategies to conduct businesses.

It follows that another possible downside of reliance and focus on online communication is the lack of
physical presence and contact. It is indubitable that some small-scale businesses such as hairdressing
and cobblery are in no way dependent on the internet or online communication to operate. Where
there is a need for a special touch, care and attention, these services can be altered or tailor-made. It is
also still an issue that many people, mainly of the older generation still value physical meetings and this
actual presence can help build understanding, trust and relationships. Sometimes you may need a hands
on approach with staff too. Hence, in such cases, online communication is not quintessential to run
businesses.

On the flip side of the coin, it cannot be denied that online communication, initially considered esoteric,
is certainly at the forefront of extraordinarily lucrative industries. Globalization has meant that online
communication is not an optional activity but rather an essential tool in business operations. It is beyond
dispute that physical meetings cost time and money. The cost of transport, accommodation, expenses
need to be factored in altogether. Howbeit, online communication is more cost effective. Even using the
costliest online communication and collaboration tools is nowhere near as expensive as the need for
physical meetups. Hence, these online mediums like Skype, Facebook, WhatsApp, Zoom and Ms. Teams
enable for the clients, businesses, and workforces to be seated in the coziness of their home
environment and workplaces, instead of directing people entirely over the place.

The last but not the least, among the benefits of the digital mediocre features the possibility of
workforces to give and take important documentation and official papers online in a little stint.
Sometimes a force majeure calls for exceptional decisions. This has been the case when the outbreak of
the Covid-19 global pandemic had struck worldwide economies and had left businesses counting the
costs. In 2020, Bridgewater, the world’s biggest hedge fund, reckoned the pandemic will cost companies
around $20trn globally. However, the aftermath resulted in innovation at warp speed. Whist, initially, it
was problematic to connect and work had been hindered, many businesses responded to the new
normal with impressive agility via online platforms. Consequently, there has been an ample increase in
productivity in work with the initiation of communication mediums.

Without a shadow of doubt, it is measured to be exceedingly imperative that every modern business
nowadays should take control of the possibilities provided by online communication which is irrefutably
a valuable asset whose benefits far outweigh its drawbacks.